The CCC is excited to announce a new Training coming this January, From Trauma to Trauma-Informed: enhancing the customer experience.  Presented by Julie Redding, LCPC, on January 12th from 9 am — 12 pm over Zoom, this will be the first in a series of deeper dive core trainings for FFD Partners.  Staff from all CCC partner organizations are invited.  Details and registration coming soon.

Each year, immediately following the conclusion of our annual conference, the members of the Maine Child Welfare Education Executive Council begin our efforts to plan the next annual conference. True to form, we began our planning for the 2024 conference in July 2023. Based on feedback from our attendees and supporters, over the course of several weeks, we selected a topic and keynote speaker that we thought would appeal to a broad audience with an interest in children’s welfare. (Read why this topic and speaker were almost cancelled in this open letter.)

University of Maine Cooperative Extension will hold a nine-session virtual nutrition class for young adults aged 19-25 and adults with young children. The course, titled “Eating Smart, Being Active,” will begin on Jan. 3 and run through the end of February. The course aims to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to make healthy food choices. Each session will cover a different topic related to nutrition, like food budgeting, meal planning, food safety and cooking tips, and include interactive activities, discussions and resources. Participants will also receive free cooking tools and a cookbook after completing all nine sessions.  Participants can choose between two time slots. Classes will meet Wednesdays, either from 9-10 a.m. or noon-1 p.m., on Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31, and Feb. 7, 14, 21 and 28.  Class size is limited and registration is required. For more information, to register or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Vanessa Young at 207-255-3345 or vanessa.young@maine.edu.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension and  Baileyville Community Connections in partnership with MCD Global Health will offer a hands-on food preservation workshop on Jan. 27, 2024  from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Woodland High School, 14 First Avenue, Baileyville. Snow date is set for Feb. 3. The hands-on food preservation workshop will teach participants the basics of preserving food at home using a boiling water bath canner. This workshop will provide the current USDA recommendation for preserving food at home safely. Ingredients and canning jars provided. Information packets on home canning will be provided to each participant. Participants are asked to bring a potholder to take home a jar of pickled carrots. Class size is limited and registration is required. The suggested donation is $20. The fee includes all materials. For more information, to register or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Heidi Hicks, 484-639-7314 (call or text) or email hhicks@mcd.org.

The Prevention Council is excited to kick off our 4th Annual Diaper Drive!  Your support in keeping our local babies healthy from the bottom up means more than ever!  Did you know that 1 out of 3 families struggle with providing diapers?  Babies are at risk of infection and skin breakdown when they do not have enough diapers to be changed frequently. Please consider donating diapers and wipes to the Prevention Council. All sizes are needed including Pull-Ups. 100% of the diapers will go straight back to families in YOUR community!  Your generosity will be felt by so many! 2 ways to donate: 
Option 1: Click on our Amazon Wish List or scan our QR Code
Option 2:Drop off at Sunrise Opportunities Prevention Council – 232 Court Street, Machias

Healthy Acadia is seeking an experienced Food Programs Coordinator to provide leadership in all areas related to community food security including gleaning, community gardening, supporting farms and farmers’ markets, and working closely with food security organizations. This is a full-time position serving Washington County.  Job description and application instructions here.

(By Anne Tumlinson, Daughterhood.org Founder)  “There are no glamorous Hallmark movies about leaving your life in the big city to go home and spend the holidays providing 24/7 care to a loved one….” (read blog).